Waiting for Superman
by fractured rose
Summary: Skye finds Ward when he is running into walls (literally). Could this eventually lead to Ward's redemption? Possible spoilers for season 2. Eventual Skyeward. ON INDEFINITE HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

**Note:** This story has nothing to do with my series of drabbles/other story. The title is the song I was listening to when I started writing.

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><p><strong>G<strong>rant Ward stared at his hands, noticing the fine lines and rough callouses of his palms. Ever since Garrett had died, Ward's hands hadn't stopped shaking. The tremors varied from full on trembling to sporadic shivers. Either way, his hands were always trembling. He supposed it was from shock, but a small part of him thought it retribution for the crimes he had committed with his hands. Ward knew he stood a slim to none chance of redemption.

Nobody had been to see him. He didn't know how much time had elapsed since he had been down here, but it had been long enough for his larynx to heal. Ward had cried the first day after Garrett's death. It had been years since he had cried and the sobs had only increased the pain in his throat. He hadn't been taken out of his cell for medical treatment and he suspected that had the team had it their way, he probably wouldn't have even received medical treatment.

Ward lifted his head and stared lifelessly at the blank, white barrier in front of him. He idly wondered how long it would take for him to go mad. He stood carefully, feeling the cold stone floor under his bare feet and walked to the barrier, turning around and facing the grey cinderblock wall.

Running was a new feeling to Ward. His cell was only twenty by ten steps and he had walked the perimeter more times than he could count. He ran to the wall, considering stopping and then slamming into it as hard as he could. His head and body connected with the wall with a sickening crack. Shaking his head briefly, Ward backed up. The pain brought a small feeling of relief. Finally he could feel something.

Sometime later, Ward became aware of a voice calling his name. It sounded vaguely familiar, but he could barely think over the pain radiating through his skull. Someone was gently shaking his shoulder and Ward thought he saw a pair of chocolate brown eyes behind a silky curtain of brown hair before his eyes slid closed.

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><p>Coulson had asked Skye to talk to Ward. They had tried everything to force the ex-agent to talk, to tell anything he knew about Hydra, but Ward had kept a stony silence. Coulson was using Skye as his last resort and if she couldn't make Ward talk, then no one could.<p>

Skye sighed softly as she entered Vault D. There was something cold and dark about the place, a perfect place for a traitor, she thought as she descended the stairs. Skye pressed a button on the tablet she held and the barrier in front of her disappeared to reveal Ward.

She could only stare in horror at Ward. The specialist was crumpled at the base of the far wall, eyes glassy and unfocused, blood trailing down the side of his face.

"W-Ward" she gasped, and ran forward, lowering the barrier and falling to her knees beside him. She shook his shoulder, trying to elicit a response from him, but his eyes only fluttered closed.

"Coulson! Coulson!" she screamed, knowing the older man was waiting outside the cell. He burst in; gun raised and took in the scene before him. Skye was kneeling beside an unconscious Ward, a look of distress on her face.

"What happened?" he asked, trying to remain calm as he felt for Ward's pulse.

"I don't know, I came in and he was just lying here," Skye's voice was terse as Coulson reached for his phone.

"Trip, I need you to come down here with a gurney and medical kit" Coulson spoke into his phone and hung up before Trip could even answer.

"Ward, please wake up" Skye pleaded, her hand resting lightly on Ward's unmoving shoulder. She folded her jacket and pressed it against his forehead, trying to stem the bleeding. Sitting back on her heels, with one hand still pressed against Ward's wound, Skye took the time to study him. His cheekbones, which had always been prominent, were so sharp that they made his face seem thinner. He still had a good deal of muscle, which Skye was secretly thankful for. It made him look less skinny, even though Skye didn't fail to notice how baggy his shirt was and she knew it wasn't because the shirt was too big.

Ward stirred and Skye sat forward, anticipating him regaining consciousness. His eyes flickered open, but they flickered shut after only a few seconds. Not nearly enough time for Skye to say what she wanted to say. Trip came jogging in with a gurney behind him. Fitz peered around him, eyes wide. Skye frowned and stood up, folding her arms.

"How is he?" Trip asked as he knelt beside Ward, fingers pressed gently against the specialist's neck.

"What's Fitz doing here?" Skye asked.

"He wanted to come, so I let him. Coulson thought it would be good if he got out of the lab for a few minutes anyways" Trip shrugged, rummaging through the medical kit, pulling out gauze.

"Here, pass me that" Skye said, holding out her hand for the gauze and tape. Trip flashed her a grateful glance and passed over the supplies.

"Fitz, can you bring that gurney over here?" Trip's voice was calm and light.

"The-the…" Fitz paused, and snapped his fingers trying to remember what Trip was asking.

Trip didn't say anything; he only waited for Fitz to figure out what he was asking.

"Right, right the-the…gurney" Fitz hurried over to Trip, wheeling the gurney.

"Thanks" Trip gave him a small smile and proceeded to lower the gurney so that he and Skye could shift Ward onto it.

"Is-is he going to be okay?" Fitz hovered by Trip's shoulder, his hands fluttering as though he wasn't sure what to do with them.

"Yeah. Looks like it" Trip said quietly. His face bore a sad and thoughtful expression. He was concerned with the lack of care that Coulson showed for Ward and for the lack of attention the specialist had been getting. Had he been properly monitored, Ward probably would never have been able to hurt himself.

"Skye, you want to get his legs, I'll get his shoulders" Trip said quietly. Skye nodded and positioned herself at Ward's legs.

"One, two three" Trip murmured as they lifted Ward to the gurney. He started fastening restraints around Ward's wrists and motioned for Skye to do the same with Ward's ankles.

She reluctantly picked up one of the soft, Velcro straps and wrapped it around Ward's ankle. Even though she knew what Ward was capable of, the action of physically restraining him felt wrong to her. Trip carefully fastened a strap across Ward's chest and Skye felt a protest bubbling up.

"Is that really necessary?" she asked. Her face must've betrayed her emotions because Trip's response was gentle.

"It's for his own good."

Fitz slowly unfolded a blanket and spread it over Ward. He stepped back and Trip handed him the medical kit. A low moan distracted all three agents in the cell.

Ward was rolling his head back and forth, small sounds of pain slipping past his lips. Skye and Trip hurried over, Trip placing his hands on either side of Ward's head to still his twisting.

Skye placed her hand on his chest.

"Ward, wake up" she coaxed.

Ward groaned and finally cracked his eyes open. The first thing he saw was Skye leaning over him, worry shining in her eyes.

"Ward?" she asked, sounding much younger than she was.

"Skye" he croaked and Trip carefully released his hands. Ward tried to sit up, his breath hitching when he realized he couldn't. He caught sight of Fitz standing nervously in the corner and tears welled up in Ward's eyes.

"Fitz…I-I-I'm sorry" Ward choked out. Fitz tried to speak, but the words were caught in his throat as Ward started to sob. Tears dripped down his cheeks and onto his chest, darkening the blanket where they landed.

"Ward, you need to calm down," Skye said, shooting a worried glance at Trip. She reached under the blanket and wrapped her fingers around Ward's hand, only slightly soothed by Ward squeezing her hand.

Ward gagged, sounding as though he was about to be sick and Skye felt like crying. Ward's lack of control over his emotions was frightening mainly because Skye had never seen him so helpless.

Trip held up a small syringe, making sure Ward couldn't see him. Skye bit her lip, trying to block out Ward's increasingly harsh sobs. Trip gently pulled back the corner of the blanket, and made the small injection into Ward's bicep.

"Fitz…sorry…" Ward whimpered, his eyelids fluttering to half-mast. The sedative was working fast and already his grip on Skye's hand was limp and almost non-existent. Trip rested his fingers lightly against Ward's wrist, frowning when he noticed how weak Ward's pulse was.

"Let's get him upstairs" Trip murmured softly to Skye, who nodded in acquiescence.

The two of them wheeled Ward out of Vault D, Fitz following with the medical bag.

When they came to a stop outside the room where Coulson had ordered Ward to be kept, Skye frowned. The room was directly across from the lab.

"And DC really thought this was a good place?" she asked dubiously.

"It's across from the lab, so Ward won't be too far from our medical equipment should he need it" Trip explained.

"Did he even think about FitzSimmons? I don't think Jemma's going to want to work across from a murderer" Skye remarked pointedly. Trip sighed quietly.

"I know. But…" Trip lowered his voice so Fitz couldn't overhear, "Simmons is going to be sent on a mission."

"What?!" Skye exclaimed.

"Shhh…" Trip glared at her and then at Fitz.

"Did he not think about Fitz?" Skye hissed, "How will this help him?"

"Ahhh…Coulson doesn't think there's much anyone can do for Fitz" Trip said softly. He looked down, fingering the hem of the blanket.

Skye swallowed hard.

"Let's get him in bed" she said softly. Trip nodded and the two of them silently wheeled Ward into the room, carefully moving the specialist to the bed and hooking him up to monitors that Fitz and Skye would be watching.

As Skye and Trip exited the room, Skye glanced over her shoulder. Ward looked so vulnerable lying in the bed that seemed to dwarf him. Skye knew that this image would haunt her forever.

**TBC**

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><p><strong>Note:<strong> So this story is inspired by a prompt by Salkri Kachemench, so huge thanks to them! Please feel free to let me know what you think or if you have something you think I should include. I can't always promise that I'll do it, but… :) Have a great day!


	2. Chapter 2

**S**kye groaned and dropped her head to her laptop. She had been siting with Ward for the past few hours, until Trip had finally persuaded her to go sit in the lab with Fitz. She had made him promise to tell her if Ward so much as twitched. Trip had managed to do so with a straight face.

"What?" Fitz looked up from his lab table. He was still struggling to work on a cloaking technology for the Bus, a project started long before Ward's betrayal. Had he not been dropped in the ocean, Fitz probably would've been finished by now.

"Ward's records are proving harder to hack than I thought. SHIELD really doesn't go halfway when it comes to encrypting files" Skye replied, wary of Fitz's response.

"W-W-Why are you looking at Ward's records? They're supposed to be…classified" Fitz finished, looking confused.

"I don't know" Skye replied honestly, shrugging. She really had no idea why she was looking at the files. Perhaps it was a trait left over from her Rising Tide days, when she had wanted the truth about any and everything.

Fitz didn't say anything and simply went back to his work. Skye sighed; she missed the old days when Fitz would've been chattering away like a monkey. She also missed Simmons, the young scientist currently on some deep undercover mission.

"I'm gonna go find Trip. You want anything?" Skye asked as she stood up and stretched.

Fitz flapped his hand at her rather irritably, not replying. Skye closed her laptop, tucking it under her arm and walking out of the lab. She closed the door behind her and caught in the window a reflection of Fitz putting his hand on his shoulder, his lips moving as though he was talking to someone, even though no one was there.

"Hey" Trip greeted her over his shoulder as he carefully placed a slice of bread on his sandwich. Skye's breath caught momentarily in her throat as she remembered Ward going through the same motions not so long ago. There was a pot of soup bubbling on the stove and Skye wandered over, sniffing the air appreciatively.

"I didn't know you could cook" she commented, dipping a spoon into the broth and tasting the hot liquid.

"I can't. It's Campbell's chicken noodle soup. I thought Ward might want lunch, if he's awake" Trip's voice was characteristically quiet and his eyes held a somber glint.

"I'll come" Skye offered, snagging a piece of cheese off Trip's sandwich and popping it in her mouth, nimbly avoiding Trip as he swatted at her.

"Are you sure?" he queried, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, why not?" she folded her arms and looked at him in a silent challenge.

"Well you didn't exactly seem fond of him," Trip pointed out as gently as he could. Skye merely glared at him and the agent had to smile at the look on her face. Skye literally resembled a miniature, angry Melinda May.

"What are you laughing at?" Skye's glare only intensified and Trip made a mental reminder to tell May to stop rubbing off so much on her protégé.

"Nothing" Trip held his hands up in defense, "put the soup into a bowl and let's go."

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><p>Skye and Trip made their way down to Ward's room, Skye precariously balancing the tray with soup and a glass of water. Trip held the door open for her and Skye slowly walked into the dimly lit room.<p>

She quietly placed the tray on the nightstand and settled into the chair next to Ward's bed. He blinked his eyes open and let out a soft groan. Alarmed, Skye looked up at Trip who only shrugged.

"Ward, what's wrong?" she asked gently.

"So tired," he mumbled, his hand fumbling loosely for Skye's hand. She carefully slid her fingers against his, biting her lip as his hand curled around hers.

"I know. You want some soup? Trip made…heated it up," Skye offered. Ward nodded weakly and Trip helped him to sit up. Ward's arms shook as he pushed himself into a sitting position. Skye was immediately at his side, sliding an arm around his back and slipping a pillow behind Ward to help him stay upright.

Trip carefully placed the tray on Ward's lap and stood back, folding his arms across his chest.

"Thanks" Ward murmured. Skye gently rested her hand against Ward's forehead and the specialist leaned into the gentle touch.

"Eat your soup. I'll be right back," she whispered.

"Wait, where are you going?" Ward caught a gentle hold of Skye's wrist as she stood up. His eyes were openly panicked and his fingers quivered lightly against Skye's skin.

"I'll be right back, I promise" she reassured him. Trip followed her out of the room.

"What's up?" he enquired, leaning comfortably against the wall.

"It's just so…so weird seeing Ward like this. I mean normally he's a tough Nazi SO." Skye shrugged her shoulders and heaved a sigh.

"He'll be fine in a few days. Coulson just wants to keep him sedated for the time being" Trip explained to a still unhappy Skye. She followed him back into the room and settled herself next to Ward's side. The specialist had fallen into a light doze, slumped in a comfortable position against the pillows.

"Skye, I need to talk to you" Coulson stuck his head around the door to the room.

"Yeah, okay. I'm all ears" Skye stuck her fingers behind her ears and waggled them. Trip hastily muffled a laugh at her expression.

"Privately" Coulson said pointedly.

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><p>"Ward is going to be transported to a maximum security prison in a week" Coulson said as he sat down behind his desk.<p>

"Why?" Skye frowned, "I thought you wanted to keep him here. And besides, what prison what take Ward?"

"I still have a few connections. And it's not practical for us to have him staying here. We're low enough as it is on supplies."

Skye took a deep breath, "I was thinking that maybe, he could stay here for at least another two weeks."

Now it was Coulson's turn to frown.

"Skye, I just explained why we can't keep him here. Are you really suggesting we keep a Hydra operative in our basement?"

"He was only loyal to Garrett, not Hydra." Skye said softly.

"Ward will be leaving for prison in a week and that is final. Is that understood, _agent_?" Coulson's tone was tight and firm.

"Yes sir" Skye muttered and stalked out of his office.

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><p>"Have you noticed anything strange about Coulson?" Skye asked offhandedly as she slammed her fists into a punching bag.<p>

"He has a lot on his mind" May responded.

Skye nodded, but May could see that the younger woman didn't look very convinced.

"Skye, Coulson just needs some time to himself. You need to stop bothering him with so many questions" May's tone was soft, but her eyes had a hard glint to them.

"He shouldn't keep secrets from his own team" Skye snapped, attacking the punching bag as though she had a personal vendetta against it. May placed her hands on top of Skye's, halting the hacker's motions.

"He shouldn't, but he has to. Now you should go shower and then check on Ward."

Skye nodded in affirmation and started unwrapping her hands.

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><p>When Skye let herself into Ward's room, the specialist was fast asleep. His face was uncharacteristically unlined, and his hand was curled loosely in the blankets. Skye sat on the edge of the bed and gently took his hand in her own. Trip had warned her that Ward was heavily sedated and would probably not wake anytime soon. That still didn't stop her from slipping in and staying with Ward. Not that she actually cared about him, right?<p>

**TBC**

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><p><strong>Note:<strong> I am very sorry about the delay in the uploading of this chapter. The next chapter should be up by the end of the week. Until then! If you have any ideas for how this story should go, please let me know.


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